Sliding glass doors are a popular choice for homes because they offer an indoor/outdoor lifestyle and open views. However, sliding glass doors can also be a security challenge.
Criminals find them easy to break, and they can often be left unlocked without people realizing it. Here are some tips for securing a sliding glass door from burglars.
Why is Sliding Glass Door Challenging to Secure?
Sliding glass doors offer many benefits — they let in natural light and provide easy access to the great outdoors. But they can also be challenging to secure since they’re easily accessible and can be forced open from the outside. Here are some reasons why sliding glass doors are a bit difficult to secure:
- They are frequently unlocked: Sliding glass doors are often left unlocked, making them an easy target for burglars.
- The locks are simple to open and bypass: The locks on most sliding glass doors are easy to break into, and there’s usually no deadbolt or security chain.
- They are out of sight: Sliding glass doors are most often found in the rear of the house, where they’re hidden from public view. This provides burglars plenty of opportunities to enter your home without being noticed.
How intruders Bypass Sliding Doors
It’s important to understand how criminals use particular gaps in your sliding glass door security system to get around it.
Understanding this information is crucial for devising a successful strategy for keeping them safe. Some of the most frequent methods that burglars use to get around sliding glass doors include:
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Breaking The Sliding Door Glass
The sliding door usually comes with tempered glass for safety reasons, making it easy to break. With a hard enough impact, an intruder can shatter the glass and gain access to your home without having to go through the trouble of breaking the lock.
Breaking Glass Door Lock
As simple as that old latch system works, it’s just as easy for a criminal to break. With a simple tug on the door, they can pull the lock right out of the door frame and gain access to your home.
Pulling the Door Out From its Frame
Because these doors slide open on exposed tracks, it’s easy for a burglar to pry them out of the frame and gain access to your home. They can pull the door right off its hinges with a little bit of force.
Best Way to Protect Sliding Glass Doors?
After we understand how burglars bypass sliding door security, it’s time to take some actions to make the sliding doors more secure.
Install a Security Bar
Installing a security bar in the door track makes it more difficult for an intruder to break into the house outside. The security bar prevents the door from opening by pulling on the door.
Installing Impact Resistant Sliding Doors
Impact-resistant doors, also known as hurricane sliding glass doors, are intended to protect against the impact of hefty objects. As a result, it would be harder for a criminal to smash the glass.
Install a One-way Mirrored Window Film
Installing a one-way mirrored film on the sliding door is one of the most basic methods to keep prying eyes out of the house. By that, intruders will see only a reflective surface when looking at the door from the outside. However, it is important to have other methods to protect privacy at night.
Installing Breaking Glass Detector
Glass break detectors emit an alarm whenever they detect the sound of breaking glass. This is a great deterrent for would-be intruders. The door sensor also emits an alarm when someone attempts to pry the door open, providing extra security for your home.
Installing More Secure Lock
As we mentioned before, burglars can easily bypass a standard sliding glass door lock. To help secure your sliding door, install a keyed lock on the door instead of using the original simple latching mechanism.
A sliding door lock meant to keep the door locked to the jamb is another possibility. Consider switching out a normal slider for one that comes with enhanced security features.
As you can see, several things can be done to secure your sliding glass door and make it more difficult for burglars to gain access. By taking a few simple steps, you can make your home less appealing to criminals and help keep you and your family and your belonging safe.
Call Professional Locksmith Services
If you are not comfortable installing any of these security features yourself or don’t have the time, consider calling a professional locksmith service.
You can always use the help of a professional locksmith service to have a custom security solution for your sliding glass door. A locksmith can help you determine the best way to secure your door and install any necessary hardware or devices.
Where to Find a Professional Locksmith Near You?
Internet is your best friend here, type “professional locksmith services near me” on your favorite search engine like google, and it will give you a list of local locksmith companies.
For example, if you live in Dallas, Texas, a quick google search for “locksmith Dallas” will give you a list of local locksmith companies near the Dallas, Texas area.
Another great option is to use the Locksmiths Finder directory. This directory is a comprehensive list of locksmiths all over the United States. You can search by zip code or city and find a locksmith close to you.
